Fans that were bummed out by Assassin’s Creed III will most likely find Black Flag to be a welcoming return to what they love about the series, with a great story, amazingly crafted world and smart additions to the sailing that make it a refreshing part of the Assassin’s Creed formula.

With a story that will leave thought waves pulsating to the tune of the excellent writing, intriguing gameplay that breaches boundaries of immersion, and with a Wii U version coming soon that will be much more accessible for those with physical disabilities because the controller will replace a mouse, Nihilumbra is a demonstration of how video games that immerse the player in telling stories, gameplay that challenges the forefront of perception, and having puzzles that will be remembrances at lunch can never be beaten by mainstream titles – no matter how unique the fire particles get.

Syder Arcade is visually incredible and the music and sound effects only add to the atmosphere that it generates.

It truly is a testament to the masterful design of Shinji Mikami and his team at Capcom that Resident Evil 4 is still a fantastic game to this day, nine years on from its debut explosion that won the title multiple Game of the Year awards.

Here is a sprawling, compelling game made with impressive confidence – masterfully paced and expanding on its predecessor without for a moment losing track of its appeal. It’s a game that has kept its integrity intact while navigating the weird waters of mass market appeal, and one that retains a real undertanding of fundamentally enjoyable mechanics. Rise of The Tomb Raider is exceptionally easy to recommend.

Much like Dissidia: Final Fantasy and Super Smash Bros., Persona 4: Arena is a fighting game spin-off tailored for the fans, first and foremost. Whether or not those fans also enjoy the fighting game genre in addition to RPGs, there is enough content and callbacks that make this purchase a no-brainer.

Whether you loved the previous game, or have had no experience with Rocksteady's Batman series up until now, Arkham City belongs on your shelf, in your console, and in your life.

So should you buy this game? Well, that depends on your answer to two questions. First – do you have time on your hands? Second – are you willing to play one of the best RPGs ever? If so, take it from me – three weeks, two days, and 95 hours later, I'm still loving this game. You'll love the new upgrades to the original content, and don't be surprised if the game makes you rethink what you thought you enjoyed about RPGs.

Level-5, along with the amazing localisation work, took the experience from their background and created an adorable RPG that will be remembered for ages to come.

Ultimately, above all else, the game comes across as feeling wholly authentic – and that is a word you can attribute to only a small handful of games released in this day and age.

FIFA 16 is as close to the real game as players will ever get and continuous support in the way of match day updates and Ultimate Team challenges will further cement it as the best football sim on the market.

Don’t Starve Together takes the terrific game that it’s predecessor is known to be and builds up a whole new structure around the original that really opens up a lot of different ways of, well, not starving.

What helps is that this is all wrapped up in some of the most seamless and enjoyable interactive music you’ll ever hear in a videogame.

There really is no other choice on current generation consoles that allows oneself to waste hours away on your own or with friends smashing enemies and powering up through shiny, sparkling loot and coming away after a session feeling so good about it.

Monument Valley is a perfect combination of creative beauty and fun simplicity.

The original Just Cause was a little rough around the edges but the sequel is highly polished and looks great. I could easily see myself logging a hundred hours or more in to the game, it’s probably the most comprehensive sandbox game I’ve played.

Both graphically astounding and incredibly fun, it would be disillusioning to own a Playstation 3 and not have this rightfully placed at the top of your collection.

It's a fresh, unrelenting take on a stale genre that has you grinning from beginning to end.

What EA Black Box have achieved is near enough the ultimate lazy Sunday afternoon with your friends and a bunch of skateboards.

Capcom is on the ball when it comes to exciting fighting games. Say what you will about their DLC fiasco, but there's no denying when it comes to what matters, Street Fighter X Tekken is one exhilarating fighting game that is easily recommended for Street Fighter fans.

CrossCode is a fantastic package that sits as one of 2018’s best indie games. In a year that launched Celeste, Dead Cells and Into the Breach, it’s no easy award to give, but CrossCode achieves this thanks to its great action RPG gameplay set in a believable MMORPG world, beautiful visuals, additive, responsive and challenging combat, smart dungeon design and some wonderful music. It’s a complete package that is bold enough to take the clichés of the genre and run with its own spin on them, and it isn’t going to burn holes in anyone’s pockets with its nicely priced £14.99, which gives players a lot of bang for their buck, top quality bang at that.

It is as true to its roots as it can be in a style so totally different from the source material. In addition, it is fantastic that it is accepted cannon in the Borderlands universe, meaning that all characters were in danger, even established ones.

There may be much of Rumu’s narrative that is not wholly original, but the story excels as it engages modern human sensibilities. It sometimes falls into sci-fi genre tropes, but never wallows in them. It is futuristic at times, but never out of reach. Always careful to remain relatable, accessible, and grounded. The lovable vacuum cleaner that is Rumu never forgets how to love, but as a game Rumu always strives to highlight compassion – an element crucial to molding an engaging story.

A truly excellent racer that we’ll no doubt still be playing this time next year, this is one Blur that even the Gallaghers would admit to liking.

Bayonetta is a completely OTT game with singular vision, containing ideas that make sense only in the mind of Hideki Kamiya – the game’s creator. It’s an insight into what he thinks games should be about, and a love letter to the uniqueness of the medium he works in – with no misgivings to end-users that do not share his mindset.

This game is a must play for any Batman fan and a must play for any Telltale fan. The story is different and refreshing but has the best of Telltale baked in with the decisions and the flowing dialogue. It was a pleasure to play and another shining example of great story telling in a game and had some of the best QTE I’ve seen in one of their games.

Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours is jam-packed with brilliant shoot-em-up action. It’s a game that can last you a long time, and hardly ever loses its touch over that period. Pricey compared to similar games, but what you get for that is absolutely stellar.

Really it comes down to this; if you like deck-builders or ever have, you should give Roguebook a chance. Tainted Grail: Conquest isn’t for everyone and I knew that right away, even if I loved that game in its own way. Roguebook is one that everyone with even a passing interest should try. You may get your ass kicked but I doubt you’ll regret it.